Magnum Moon was another 3-year-old with dreams when Oaklawn Park opened Jan. 12, one day from his career debut at Gulfstream Park in south Florida.
Three winning races later, yesterday's unraced starter has become today's probable Arkansas Derby favorite.
Such things happen often with expensive young horses -- Magnum Moon sold for $380,000 as a yearling in September 2016 -- in the hands of trainers who focus on winning the Kentucky Derby.
Todd Pletcher is to the Kentucky Derby what Bill Gates is to Microsoft and Tom Brady -- at least in recent years -- to the Super Bowl. In a word, omnipresent. Pletcher saddled Always Dreaming to his second Kentucky Derby victory last year as he tied mentor Wayne Lukas with a career-record 48 race starters.
His Louisville reservation confirmed with 50 points for winning Oaklawn's Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel Stakes March 17, Magnum Moon might be joined by three other Pletcher trainees in the Churchill Downs starting gate May 5. With Luis Saez aboard, Magnum Moon hopes to keep the ball rolling in Derby preps following Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Wood Memorial victories by stablemates Noble Indy, Audible and Vino Rosso, respectively.
For Robert and Lawana Low, owners of Magnum Moon, these are watershed moments. The Springfield, Mo., couple campaigned multiple Grade 1-winning filly Capote Belle and 2006 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Steppenwolfer, both trained by Arkansas native Dan Peitz. Magnum Moon, said Robert Low, can provide a career highlight merely by winning the Arkansas Derby at the couple's "home track."
"We've been going there for 40 years plus," said Robert Low, 68, founder of Prime Inc., the Springfield-based refrigerated, flatbed, tanker and intermodal carrier. "We love that place. It's like a second home."
Though trainer Bob Baffert has 13 Oaklawn Derby-prep wins in this decade, Pletcher holds the lease in the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby, winning the track's oldest (since 1936) and richest race a record four times. Magnum Moon can join Graeme Hall (2000), Balto Star (2001), Overanalyze (2013) and Danza (2014) as Pletcher-trained race winners, though Super Saver (2010) gave the Texan his first Kentucky Derby triumph after an Arkansas Derby second.
"It's maybe just a bit behind the Kentucky Derby," said Robert Low. "We'd love to win the Arkansas Derby."
Whereas Pletcher is an Oaklawn veteran (though an infrequent visitor), Rodolphe Brisset is a comparative Arkansas rookie. He's here with Quip, last-out winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and scratched from last week's Grade 2 $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
"It seems like he's been here for the whole meet (rather than just a week)," said Brisset, whose previous Oaklawn experience came as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Florent Geroux, best known for piloting 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, rides Quip, who can enliven the pace going a mile and an eighth -- or not.
"I think we have good tactical speed," said Brisset. "Watching a couple of replays of the Arkansas Derby the past couple of years, it looks like we have a pretty decent run before the first turn. He won on the lead (Keeneland maiden race), he won stalking (Tampa Bay Derby). "I don't think we need to overanalyze anything. If we have a clean break, don't be surprised to see us on the lead."
Solomini, early 2-1 second choice to 8-5 favorite Magnum Moon, finished a troubled second in the Rebel, his first start in three months. Baffert has won the Arkansas Derby twice in this decade (Bodemeister in 2012, American Pharoah in 2015) for Zayat Stables, which races the Curlin colt in partnership with the Coolmore group of Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.
"Just need a clean trip," said Justin Zayat, son of principal owner Ahmed Zayat.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, seeking his fourth Arkansas Derby win and second in three years, sends out Combatant, unbeaten Tenfold and last-out Sunland Park Derby runner-up Dream Baby Dream. Combatant placed second in three consecutive Derby-point races before third in the Rebel when outkicked by Solomini.
"At a mile and an eighth, we've got a little longer run into the first turn, so hopefully he won't be jeopardized as much as he was in his last two races," said Asmussen.
Post time for the Arkansas Derby, 11th of 12 races on the season-ending card, is 6:18 p.m. with 100 Derby points to the winner and 70 split between the next three finishers.
Sports on 04/14/2018